§ 3.7 p.m.
§ The Earl of KinnoullMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following the publication of the Home Office report on hand-held radar guns.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)My Lords, we intend moving to a type approval procedure—as provided for in Section 62 of the Transport Act 1982—when the Scientific Research and Development Branch of the Home Office has completed its current evaluation of fixed roadside radar speed measuring devices.
§ The Earl of KinnoullMy Lords, I am grateful for my noble friend's reply. Can my noble friend give an estimate when he is likely to be able to publish the approved types, and then, having published those approved types, how long it will be before the police authorities are able to implement the request?
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, we expect to implement Section 62 in the autumn and these things will flow from that.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, the Minister will appreciate that the document on these investigations is highly technical. As it was sent to a number of interested bodies, can he say what responses have been received and also whether there were any adverse comments about the type of investigations carried out? It is far too technical for the ordinary layman to ascertain whether the operations to carry out these checks were satisfactory or not.
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, we have received no representations critical of the report, and laymen can see on page 48 under paragraph 7 that the report says:
Instrument accuracy has been examined in detail for a large sample of the meters in service. The meters have been found to be reliable and accurate, but the daily police checks are still considered necessary".
§ The Earl of KinnoullMy Lords, can my noble friend say whether the static radar appliances' tests are still continuing, and whether this matter is likely to be the subject of a further report.
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, the testing of static roadside devices is continuing and we shall publish the report.